Biden heads to Poland, Lithuania to talk about Ukraine

Mar. 16, 2014
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Vice President Biden / Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

by David Jackson, USA TODAY

Vice President Biden travels to Ukraine's neighborhood this week to meet with officials in Poland and Lithuania.

You can't help but wonder if Biden will make a side-trip to visit U.S. allies in Ukraine's capital Kiev, but no such announcement has been made.

The vice president will meet with regional leaders, as the Obama administration seeks to put internal pressure on Russia to withdraw troops from the Crimea region of Ukraine.

Biden is scheduled to meet with government leaders in Poland during the Monday-through-Wednesday trip.

The Lithuania stop includes talks with the presidents of all three Baltic states, Latvia and Estonia as well as Lithuania.

"The vice president will consult on steps to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and affirm our collective defense commitments under the North Atlantic Treaty and our enduring support for all of our allies and partners in Europe," says the White House.

Biden plans his trip Sunday amid a referendum in Crimea to split off from Ukraine and possibly rejoin Russia. Obama and aides have denounced the referendum as illegal.